Record feeding apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for feeding records successively from a stack comprises a finger for displacing the uppermost record out of alignment with the stack and into vertical alignment with a suction device positioned above the record. The suction device is lowered and a projection slidably carried in the suction device locates in the central hole of the record and rests on the next lower record in the stack. The suction device is also brought into engagement with the uppermost record, suction is applied and the suction device is raised, the projection remaining and being held in contact with the next lower record to assist in separation of the uppermost record from the next lower record, the projection then being raised with the suction device.

United States Patent 1 Parker et al. July 10, 1973 RECORD FEEDING APPARATUS Primary Examiner-Edward A. Sroka [75] inventors: David George Parker, Warlingham; 4ttorney cralg Antonelh &

Donald Richard Patrick Jackson, London, both of England 57 ABSTRACT Assign: f f Scott Thrisse Engineering Apparatus for feeding records successively from a Limlted stack comprises a finger for displacing the uppermost [22] Filed: May 5, 1971 record out of alignment with the stack and-into vertical alignment with a suction device positioned above the PP 140,509 record. The suction device is lowered and a projection.

slidably carried in the suction device locates in the cen- 52 us. Cl. 271 1, 271/62 ttal of the record and tests the next lower 51 int. Cl B65h 1/00, B65h 5/00 ht tht Stack The Suction device is also brought 58 Field of Search 271/1 11-12 engagement with the upPttthhhst record, Suction is 271/26 3041 applied and the suction device is raised, the projection remaining and being held in contact with the next lower [56] References Cited record to assist in separation of the uppermost record from the next lower record, the projection then being I 5.78 822 :l PATENTS 27m] raised with the suction device.

, over 13 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUUOIQB 3,744,788

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I saw a or 6 INVEN ORS DAVID GEPRG'E PARKERO! DONALD RICHAR D PATRICK JACKSON BY (1.15 QMtomlQ; s w ATTO RN EY5 l RECORD FEEDING APPARATUS This invention relates to apparatus for feeding records successively from a stack. The present invention may with advantage be employed in a record packing machine as disclosed in U.S. Pat. application, Ser. No. 36,261.

According to the invention, we provide apparatus for feeding records successively from a stack, comprising means for displacing the uppermost record out of alignment with the remainder of the stack, a plurality of suction pads engageable with said uppermost record after said displacement at positions around but not overlapping the central hole of said record, locating means associated with said pads for entering said central hole to ensure desired lateral location of said record relative to said pads, and means for simultaneously lifting said pads and applying suction to said pads while said locating means engages the next adjacent record in the stack to assist separation of said uppermost record from said next adjacent record.

In a preferred embodiment the apparatus includes lifting means adapted to receive a stack of records and raise said stack into operative relationship with said displacing means and suction pads, and means for sensing the level of the uppermost record of the stack as the latter is raised by the lifting means, said lifting means having control means associated with said sensing means so that the control means causes operation of the lifting means to cease when said uppermost record has been raised to a predetermined level.

The sensing means and control means may be arranged to cause the lifting means to resume operation whenever removal of records from the top of the stack results in the uppermost remaining record in the stack being at a second and lower predetermined level.

In an apparatus as defined above, whenever the last record is removed from the stack there is an interval before feeding from a fresh stack can commence and if desired this break in supply can be avoided by providing an apparatus for feeding records from two stacks alternately, comprising two apparatus as defined above, and including means for detecting when all records have been fed from the stack of one of said apparatuses and means for terminating operation of the one apparatus and initiating operation of the other apparatus under control of said detecting means.

Apparatus embodying the invention may also include a variety of other features, as will be seen from the following description of one preferred form of apparatus. Reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of apparatus for feeding records, one at a time, from the top of a stack,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of part of the apparatus of FIG. 1, drawn to a larger scale, and showing more detail,

FIG. 3 is a section on the line IIIIII of FIG. 1, but showing more detail, and drawn to the same scale as FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a view, partly in section, and on a larger scale of a detail of FIG. 3,

FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C show three successive stages in the separation of a record from the top of a stack,

FIG. 6 shows a modification to part of the apparatus of FIG. 3,

FIG. 7 is a view of the modified part shown in FIG. 6 taken in the direction of arrow VII of FIG. 6, and

FIG. 8 shows diagrammatically a modification to a different part of the apparatus of FIG. 3.

Referring first to FIG. 1 two stacks of records 390, 390a are shown respectively positioned beneath suction feed assemblies 391, 391a arranged to remove successive records from the top of the stacks. The stack 390 is shown after removal of some records therefrom by assembly 391, and when the lastrecord has been removed, the assembly 391a is operated to start removing records from the top of stack 390a. Whilst records are being removed from stack 390a, a further stack is positioned beneath assembly 391 which operates, after the stack 390a has been exhausted, and so on. Records removed from the stacks 390, 390a are placed, by the associated feed assembly, between a pair of grooved horizontal guides 392, of which only one is visible in FIG. 1, along the grooves 392a of which the records are pushed, in the direction of arrow A, by fingers 393 carried on chain conveyors 394. On reaching the right hand end of the guides 392 (as viewed in FIG. 1) the' records drop on to the top of a small stack 395 (which functions as a buffer store) and are removed one at a time from the bottom of stack 395 by mechanism (not shown) which forms no part of the present invention, The stacks 390, 390a are carried on pallets 396 which are movable over a flat horizontal table 397 to the positions shown. Each pallet is provided with a vertical central pillar 398 which passes through the central holes of the records, and three holes arranged symmetrically around the centre thereof and within an area corresponding to the label area of the record (i.e. that part in the centre of the record having no playing groove formed in it). When a pallet is positioned below one of the feed assemblies 391, 391a the three holes therein are arranged to line up with three further holes provided in the table 397 so that three rods 399 (FIG. 1) may project through the aligned holes to lift the stack of records as will be described later, to a position adjacent the associated suction feed assembly.

As the mechanisms for removing records from the stacks 390, 390a are identical, in the following description only the mechanism for removing records from stack 390 will be described in detail.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 the rods 399 are secured at their lower ends (FIG. 3) to a triangular platform 400 having a bearing 401 fixed to each of its corners. The bearings are slidable on guide bars 402 which extend vertically between the underside of the table 397 and a base 403. The platform is raised and lowered between the bars 402 by a chain 404 which passes round sprockets 405 carried on stub shafts 406, the lower one of which is driven from a reversible motor 407 by a further chain 408. Fixed to one of the guide bars 402, at a position near to the base 403, is a micro-switch 409, and at a position near the table 397, is a further microswitch 410. I

In operation a pallet 396, carrying a stack of records, is moved to the position shown in FIG. 3, where it comes up against a stop 411. At this stage the platform 400 is stationary and at the lower end of its path of movement, so that the upper ends of the rods 399 are below the table 397. In this position the holes in the pallet 396 line up with the holes in the table 397. The arrangement is such that after the pallet engages the stop 411, a start button (not shown) is depressed to start the motor 407 which drives the chain 404 in a direction such as to start raising the platform. This causes the rods 399 to pass through the aligned holes in the table 397 and pallet 396 to engage with and raise the stack of records carried on the pallet. This movement continues until a micro-switch 412 is opened, which causes the motor 407 and thus the platform 400 to stop. The switch 412 is operated by one end 413 of a lever freely mounted on a pivot pin 414 which is supported as will be explained later. The other end of the lever is formed as a finger 415 which rests on top of the stack of records. As records are removed from the top of the stack the height thereof will be reduced and the finger 415 will thus swing anti-clockwise on the shaft 414 until the end 413 of the finger 415 closes microswitch 412, which causes the motor 407 to again start driving the chain so as to raise the platform. The level of the top of the stack is thus kept at a reasonably constant height. As the stack moves upwards towards the finger 415 it is guided laterally by two pairs of posts 416, 416a FIG. 2), thus keeping the sides of the stack substantially vertical.

The suction assembly 391 is shown in detail in FIG.

4 and consists ofa housing 417 which carries three suction pads 418 equispaced round a flange 419 provided at the bottom of the housing. The pads 418 are connected by pipes 424, carried in housing 417, to a suction pipe 425 which is in turn connected to a source of suction (not shown). A further pipe 426, also carried in the housing 417 is connected to a source of pressure air (not shown).

A bush 420 is provided with a flange 421 which is fixed to the underside of flange 419, and extends into a vertical bore 422 formed in the centre of the housing 417. The bush 420 is provided with a hole 427 which aligns with the pipe 426, and a longitudinal slot 428 formed in its inner surface between the hole 427 and the top end of the bush. Passing down the centre of the bush 420 is a plunger 423 provided at its upper end with a flange which engages the top end of the bush 420 and prevents the plunger 423 from falling out of the bush 420. The plunger 423 has a circumferential recess 429 which, during separation of the top record from the stack, becomes aligned with hole 427 in bush 420. The plunger extends below the suction pads 418 and is formed at its lower end into a short cylindrical nose 430 having a diameter which is less than the diameter of the central hole in a record, and a slot 431 formed in its end face. The recess 429 is in communication with the slot 431 by means of a hole 432.

The assembly 391 is mounted so that it may be moved vertically towards and away from the top of the stack 390 as it removes successive records therefrom. For this purpose there is provided a bar 433 (FIG. 3) which extends vertically upwards from the top of the housing 417. through a fixed bearing block 434 in which the bar 433 can slide. The block 434 is carried between cross members 435 which are fixed at their ends to side frames 436 of the apparatus. The blocks 434 are so positioned that the assembly 391 moves in a vertical path which is slightly offset to the left (as viewed in FIG, 3) of the vertical centre line of the stack 390. The assembly 391 is raised and lowered by a cam 437, fixed to a cam shaft 438 which rotates as shown by the arrow in FIG. 3, on which runs a roller 439 carried by an arm 440 pivoted at one end to a stub shaft 441 and at the other end to the top of the bar 433. The roller 439 is kept in contact with the cam 437 by a spring 442.

. Before the top record of the stack can be separated therefrom, it has to be moved to the left (as viewed in FIG. 3) so that its central hole is in vertical alignment with the nose 430 of the assembly 391. For this purpose, the finger 415, previously mentioned as a level detector for the stack 390, is moved by a cam 443, also fixed to the cam shaft 438, on which runs a roller 444 carried by onearm of a bell-crank lever 445, pivoted at 446. The other arm of the lever 445 supports, and is freely connected to the pivot pin 414. To allow for the sideways movement of the top record of the stack, the two posts 416a (FIG. 2) have their stack engaging faces shaped, near their top ends, as shown in FIG. 3 at 447.

The end of the finger 415 which engages the record is shaped as shown in FIGS. SA-SC. The face 415a is of such depth that it engages the edge of only the top record, the face 415b engaging the top surface of the top record, and the face 415: is arranged to engage the edge of the top record, after the latter has been displaced and the finger withdrawn, so that the finger cannot move to displace the next record until the top record has been lifted away. This situation is shown in FIG. 5B, where in chain dot lines a record which has not been picked up, is indicated.

The removal of a record from the top of stack 390 will now be described. With the parts positioned as shown in FIG. 3, the switch 412 is open, and the motor 407 stopped. The finger 415 is resting on the top record. The finger moves forward (to the left in FIG. 3) and pushes the record until it engages the shaped portion 447 of the posts 416a, at which position the central hole of the record is vertically below the nose 430. The assembly 391 is lowered and the nose 430 locates in the central hole of the top record and rests on the next lower record, the central hole of which is still on the vertical centre line of the stack 390 (FIG. 5A). The finger 415 is then moved back so that it disengages from the top record and rests on the next lowest one, ready to move it to the left. As the housing 417 is stil moving downwards the plunger 423 will move upwards relative to the bush 420, to bring recess 429 in alignment with hole 427 in the bush 420, and the further pipe 426 in housing 417. This action lifts the flange, provided at the top of the plunger 423, clear of the top of bush 420, which puts the further pipe 426 into communication with the space between the top of the plunger 423 and the end of the bore 422 in the housing 417, via hole 427 and slot 428. The housing 417 continues downwards, until the pads 418 engage the label area of the record surface, when suction is applied to the pads 418 and pressure air is applied through pipe 426. The pressure air feeds into recess 429, through hole 432 and out through slot 431 in the end of nose 430, to assist in separating the top record from the next lower one. Pressure air also feeds from hole 427 along slot 428 in bush 420, and into the space above the top of plunger 423. The pressure air acts on the top of plunger 423 and also on the closed end of hole 422 in housing 417. Due to the plunger being unable to move downwards, as the nose 430 is in contact with the stack 390 the housing 417, and thus the pads 418, are forced upwards, and

the top record lifted to separate it from the stack, by

the suction applied to the pads. When the record has been separated, the pressure air in pipe 426 is turned off and plunger 423 returns to the position shown in FIG. 4. The assembly 391 is lifted further, by cam 437, until the record is so positioned that it can be gripped by two gates 448, 448a (FIGS. 2, 3), at two diametrically opposite points, which are formed as movable parts of the guides 392 (FIG. 5B). The gates 448, 448a are fixed to one end of levers 449, 449a respectively the lever 449, being freely carried on stub shaft 441, and the lever 449a being freely carried on a further stub shaft 450. The other ends of the levers 449, 4490 are pivotally connected at 451. The lever 449 carries a roller 452 which runs on a cam 453 fixed to cam shaft 438. By the time the record being liftedon the pads 418 has reached the position shown in FIG. 5B, the gates 448, 448a have been moved out of alignment with the guides 392 as shown in that Figure. The assembly 391 is now stopped in its upward path, whilst the gates are moved towards the record, by cam 453 until they grip the record, at which point the suction is cut off from the pads 418 and the assembly 391 moves upward again to disengage the nose 430 from the central hole in the record. The record is then engaged by fingers 392 which push the record, in the direction of arrow A (FIG. 1) and deliver it to the top of the small stack 395.

Included in the stack of records 390 are a number of metal supporting discs (not shown) which are of the same dimensions as a record, but are not delivered to the stack 395. The metal discs are fed from the stack, as they reach the top thereof, in the same way as a record, but as they are being pushed along the guides 392, by finger 393, their presence is detected by a magnetic or capacitative sensing device 454 (FIG. 2) which energises a solenoid 455 to cause a further pair of gates 456, in the guides 392 and similar to gates 448, 448a, to be moved out of alignment with the guides 392, so that the metal discs drop into a collection box 456a (FIG. 1).

The cam shaft 438 is driven from a further shaft 457 via a single-revolution clutch 458, which is operated upon energisation of a solenoid 459. The shaft 457 is driven from a drive shaft 460 by a chain 461, which is driven continuously from a drive unit diagrammatically shown in FIG. 2 at 462. The clutch 458 is constructed and operates in exactly the same manner as the clutch 351 and solenoid 372 shown in FIGS. 2, 3 of copending application of even date entitled Improvements in apparatus for releasing articles from a stack.

The arrangement is such that when the last record has beenremoved from the stack 390 the switch 410 is closed, by platform 400, which starts the motor 407 to cause the platform, and thus the rods 399, to descend until the platform closes switch 409 to stop the motor 407. The rods 399 are now retracted below the table 397 and the empty pallet 396 can be replaced by one carrying a further stack of records.

Closing of the switch 410, as mentioned above, also causes feed of records to be continued from stack 390a by the assembly 3910 in the same manner as just described in relation to stack 390 and assembly 391.

When the last record of stack 390a has been fed by assembly 3910, records are again fed by assembly 391, the changeoever taking place after a short time delay so that the last record from stack 390a can be pushed along the guides 392 to a position so that it does not impede the operation of assembly 391. I

In the apparatus above described the finger 415 carries out two functions; namely, as a detector for operating the micro-switch 412, so as to keep the top of the stack of records at a reasonably constant height, and also as a pusher for moving the top record of the stack to the left (as viewed in FIG. 3) so that its central hole is in vertical alignment with the feed assembly which removes the top record from the stack. The use of the finger 415 in such a manner may lead to the switch 412 being operated when the height of the stack of records is between predetermined upper and lower limits, and thus cause the motor 407 to stop or start at inopportune times.

To counter this two separate fingers may be provided, one shown at 415a (FIGS. 6 and 7) being arranged to operate only as a pusher as previously described (and being similar to finger 415 except that it has no tail 413), and a further finger 458 provided to act as a level detector for the height of the stack of records. This further finger 458 is freely mounted on a pivot pin 459 carried in a block 460 mounted on one of the side frames 436. One end of the finger 458 is formed as a tail 460a which operates a micro-switch 412a, which is similar to the switch 412 previously described, and operates in exactly the same way. The other end of the lever 458 rests on top of the stack of records and carries out the same function as previously described with reference to the use of finger 415 as a level detector.

Also in the apparatus above described the pallet 396 is movable over the table 397 up to a stop 411. When all the records have been removed from the pallet, the latter has to be moved away from the stop before a new full pallet can be moved up to the stop.

To make the changeover of pallets easier a retractable stop may be provided. Such a stop is shown at 461 in FIG. 8. The stop is formed on the end of a piston rod 462, the piston of which moves in cylinder 463, a spring 464 being provided in the cylinder to bias the stop 461 into the position. shown in FIG. 8. The cylinder 463 is connected by a pipe 465 via a valve 466 operated by a foot pedal 467, a pipe 468, a further valve 469 and a further pipe 470 to a source of pressure air, not shown. I

With the apparatus in the position shown in-FIG. 8 the pallet cannot be moved beyond the stop 461. When all the records have been removed from the pallet the platform 400 starts to descend, as previously described, and when it operates switch 409, a lug 471 movable with the platform causes the valve 469 to move from the full line position to the dotted line position and pressure air flows along pipe 468.

When the operator wishes to replace the now empty pallet with a full one, he presses down the pedal 467 which causes the valve 466 to move from the full line position to the dotted lineposition. This allows pressure air to flow along pipe 465 and into the cylinder 463. The air pressure in the cylinder overcomes the spring 464 and the piston, and therefore also thestop 461, are moved downwardlyso that the stop is retracted below the surface of the table 397.

The empty pallet may now be pushed to the left (as viewed in FIG. 8), and a new full pallet moved in the same direction towards the stop 461, which is restored to its original position by the spring 464 when the operator releases the foot pedal 467 to return the valve 466 to the full line position and thus cut off the supply of air to the cylinder 463.

It will be appreciated that the valve 469 is provided so that, even if the pedal 467 is operated, the stop 461 cannot be retracted while the platform 400 and rods 399 are raised.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for feeding records successively from a stack, comprising means for displacing the uppermost record out of alignment with the remainder of the stack, a plurality of suction padsengageable with said uppermost record after said displacement at positions around but not overlapping the central hole of said record, locating means associated with said pads for entering said central hole to ensure desired lateral location of said record relative to said pads, and means for simultaneously lifting said pads and applying suction to the pads while said locating means engages the next adjacent record in the stack to assist separation of said uppermost record from said next adjacent record.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including lifting means adapted to receive a stack of records and raise said stack into operative relationship with said displacing means and suction pads.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, including means for sensing .the level of the uppermost record of the stack as the latter is raised by the lifting means, said lifting means having control means associated with said sensing means so that the control means causes operation of the lifting means to cease when said uppermost record has been raised to a predetermined level. 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which said sensing means and control means are arranged to cause the lifting means to resume operation whenever removal of records from the top of the stack results in the uppermost remaining record in the stack being at a second and lower predetermined level.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which said sensing means includes a pivotally mounted finger arranged so that one of its ends rests upon the uppermost record whenever the latter is no lower than the second predetermined level, said finger being arranged to influence the controlmeans.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which the displacingmeans comprises a finger pivotally mounted upon a reciprocable member, one end of said finger resting upon the top of said stack and having a stepped underside so that it simultaneously engages the upper and edge surfaces of the uppermost record.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which the finger of the sensing means is arranged to serve also as the finger of the displacing means.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 for feeding records from a stack carried on a pallet, including support means having a surface over which said pallet is movable and through which said lifting means passes to raise said stack, stop means associated with said support means, means for resiliently urging said stop means to an operative position above said surface, said stop means being arranged to abut against said pallet when said stack is positioned above said lifting means. means to move said stop means to a retracted position below said surface, and control means for effecting-operation of said moving means to permit movement of said pallet over said surface away from said lifting means.

9. Apparatus for feeding records from two stacks alternately, comprising two apparatuses each as claimed in claim 1, and including means for detecting when all records have been fed from the stack of one of said apparatuses and means for terminating operation of the one apparatus and initiating operation of the other apparatus under control of said detecting means.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the pad lifting means is arranged to raise the uppermost record to a position between movable parts of a pair of grooved horizontal guides, said movable portions being connected to actuating means operable in synchonism with said pad lifting means so that said movable portions are held apart while the record is lifted between them and then moved together to engage said record and become aligned with the remainder of said guides.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, including a pair of chain conveyor extending between and parallel to said horizontal guides, said chain conveyors each carrying a plurality of regularly-spaced pusher fingers adapted to propel records engaged between said guides, the pad lifting means being arranged to lower the suction pads after each record has been engaged by the guides and propelled out of the path of said suction pads.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the 10- cating means comprises a plunger having a nose engageable within the central hole of the uppermost record after displacement thereof, the suction pads and pad lifting means being arranged to lower the plunger and pads into engagement with the uppermost record after operation of the displacing means so that said nose enters said central hole and rests on the record next to said uppermost record while the pads complete their downward movement into engagement with the uppermost record.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, including means for blowing air through said nose while the pad lifting means is raising the suction pads to lift the uppermost record. 

1. Apparatus for feeding records successively from a stack, comprising means for displacing the uppermost record out of alignment with the remainder of the stack, a plurality of suction pads engageable with said uppermost record after said displacement at positions around but not overlapping the central hole of said record, locating means associated with said pads for entering said central hole to ensure desired lateral location of said record relative to said pads, and means for simultaneously lifting said pads and applying suction to the pads while said locating means engages the next adjacent record in the stack to assist separation of said uppermost record from said next adjacent record.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including lifting means adapted to receive a stack of records and raise said stack into operative relationship with said displacing means and suction pads.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, including means for sensing the level of the uppermost record of the stack as the latter is raised by the lifting means, said lifting means having control means associated with said sensing means so that the control means causes operation of the lifting means to cease when said uppermost record has been raised to a predetermined level.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which said sensing means and control means are arranged to cause the lifting means to resume operation whenever removal of records from the top of the stack results in the uppermost remaining record in the stack being at a second and lower predetermined leVel.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which said sensing means includes a pivotally mounted finger arranged so that one of its ends rests upon the uppermost record whenever the latter is no lower than the second predetermined level, said finger being arranged to influence the control means.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which the displacingmeans comprises a finger pivotally mounted upon a reciprocable member, one end of said finger resting upon the top of said stack and having a stepped underside so that it simultaneously engages the upper and edge surfaces of the uppermost record.
 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which the finger of the sensing means is arranged to serve also as the finger of the displacing means.
 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 for feeding records from a stack carried on a pallet, including support means having a surface over which said pallet is movable and through which said lifting means passes to raise said stack, stop means associated with said support means, means for resiliently urging said stop means to an operative position above said surface, said stop means being arranged to abut against said pallet when said stack is positioned above said lifting means, means to move said stop means to a retracted position below said surface, and control means for effecting operation of said moving means to permit movement of said pallet over said surface away from said lifting means.
 9. Apparatus for feeding records from two stacks alternately, comprising two apparatuses each as claimed in claim 1, and including means for detecting when all records have been fed from the stack of one of said apparatuses and means for terminating operation of the one apparatus and initiating operation of the other apparatus under control of said detecting means.
 10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the pad lifting means is arranged to raise the uppermost record to a position between movable parts of a pair of grooved horizontal guides, said movable portions being connected to actuating means operable in synchonism with said pad lifting means so that said movable portions are held apart while the record is lifted between them and then moved together to engage said record and become aligned with the remainder of said guides.
 11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, including a pair of chain conveyor extending between and parallel to said horizontal guides, said chain conveyors each carrying a plurality of regularly-spaced pusher fingers adapted to propel records engaged between said guides, the pad lifting means being arranged to lower the suction pads after each record has been engaged by the guides and propelled out of the path of said suction pads.
 12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the locating means comprises a plunger having a nose engageable within the central hole of the uppermost record after displacement thereof, the suction pads and pad lifting means being arranged to lower the plunger and pads into engagement with the uppermost record after operation of the displacing means so that said nose enters said central hole and rests on the record next to said uppermost record while the pads complete their downward movement into engagement with the uppermost record.
 13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12, including means for blowing air through said nose while the pad lifting means is raising the suction pads to lift the uppermost record. 